


A Start

by MumSnake



Series: Child of Scarlet Flame and Blacken Void [9]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23508199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MumSnake/pseuds/MumSnake
Summary: The nail that the Child had been given to practice with was similar to others that they had seen within the Colosseum.
Series: Child of Scarlet Flame and Blacken Void [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1004127
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35





	A Start

“Wait a moment.”

The Child stood still and glanced up at their Guardian. Theirs eyes big, wide, and open with complete trust in the other bug as Quirrel came around to their front and grasped the hilt of the nail that they held. It wasn't a big thing; the nail was actually rather small compared to the more standard ones that the Child had seen warriors use in the Colosseum of Fools. It was even smaller then Quirrel's nail, but their Guardian's nail was different then the others they had seen as well; more thin and pointed while still being relatively long. But their Guardian wasn't like the other warriors that the Child saw in the Colosseum of Fools. Their Guardian was quick, seemingly impossibly quick in fact and the Child assumed that the shape of the nail was meant to fit his style of movement and fighting.

Quick, sharp, and precise.

Quirrel took the nail that the Child was using and tested its weight in his hand. The Child actually didn't know what he was looking for, but they liked watching him go through the motions of moving the blade around.

The nail that the Child had been given to practice with was similar to others that they had seen within the Colosseum. Narrow at the tip and growing bigger as the blade met the handle of the weapon. It was small, stunted even when next to other nails made in a broadsword fashion, but it suited the Child's current height and the nail hadn't weigh too much so the Child was able to swing it with relative ease. Unlike the other nails however, the one that the Child had been given was far more pale in color. It seemed to glow in shadows and shine in any kind of like, especially at the blade.

There were indents within the smooth texture of the blade, purposely made no doubt, but whatever meaning those indents once had was lost to the Child and simply added to the appeal of looking like something different.

Something out of place...

Quirrel shifted the handle of the blade up to his face, glaring down the sharp edge with a hard expression. The Child twiddled with their claws, somewhat nervous when the serious Quirrel came around.

That was also something the the Child picked up on.

Their teacher acted differently around weapons in general. It didn't seem to matter what the weapon in discussion was or why, Quirrel would tense and close up. His hands would clutch and latch onto anything within his grasp, especially the hilt of his nail should he be carrying it around.

Another thing that the Child notice was that their Guardian never left their home at the Resting Grounds without his nail by his side anymore. The Child knew from past conversations and observations that Quirrel didn't like to carry his nail, despite how well he handled it.

“ _A tool of the past.”_ He had told the Child once on a quiet night. _“Things are different now, and there is no real need to carry this old thing around all the time.”_

His voice had been calm back then and so sure, the words helped to reassure the Child in the fact that the world was in fact different from before, that things had changed for the better that their Guardian would even feel comfortable walking around without a nail.

But then...

The Child glanced down to the thin nail that hung from Quirrel's waist, holster and ready to be drawn at any moment. Their Guardian made a point to bring the nail with him where ever he went now. Even when the two of them were just roaming the outskirts of the Rest Grounds, Quirrel wasn't seen without his nail anymore.

A frown appeared on the Child's face as they continued to stare at the nail.

Things were different again, but it wasn't a good different this time.

Something changed and it cause their Guardian to be more guarded. The Child understood that much on their own.

“Hmm.”

Quirrel motioned for the Child to step back and they did so quickly as he turned away from them and gave the nail a few practice swings. Soft sounding _swooshes_ came with each downward arch of the blade, a serious expression on their Guardian's face as, again, he looked for something that they couldn't see.

The Child had been shocked when Quirrel first brought up teaching them how to use a nail. It wasn't something that they would of thought that Quirrel would think of, let alone bring up considering that their Guardian had always been so against fighting in general.

“I suppose this will work.”

The Child looked up as Quirrel turned back around to them, his face still grim and serious but the smile greeted the Child.

“I know that I said that I would teach you how to use a nail, but really I can only show you some basic swings and rules to keep in mind.” Quirrel passed the nail back to them and moved to stand by their side. “I'm absolutely positive that Mato would be more then delighted to properly show you the ropes later though.”

The Child nodded their head somewhat absentmindedly as they took the nail and gripped it tightly in their left hand. Quirrel suggested before that the Child should try only using their dominant hand to hold the nail. He had reasoned that the blade was relatively small and meant for only one hand. He had even pointed out that after the Child was more comfortable with wielding the blade, they could summon fire from their other hand to use along side it.

“ _It will make you more versatile in battle. Harder to predict and harder to defeat.”_

The Child hadn't been able to make out the meaning behind the dark tone that Quirrel had used when he said those words. They stayed with the Child as a foreboding warning of something to come, and considering everything that had happened recently...

The Child grasped the blade tightly and shifted into a more ready stance, nail held out in front and ready to continue the lesson.


End file.
